Phonograph



March 13, 1945.. w. H. HUTTER 2,371,522

PHONOGRAPH Filed-July 17, 1941 5 Sheets-Sheei 1 WWA/ 4 ism March 13, 1945. w; H. HUTTER PHONOGRAPH 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 17, 1941 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Qtgya Patent ec l Mar. 13,1945

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

,PHONOGRAPH William H. Hutter, Chicago, 111., assignor to Rock- Ola Manufacturing Corporation, Chicago, Ill., .a corporation of Delaware Application July 11, 1941, Serial No. 402,833

1 Claim.

This invention relates in general" to phonographs, and more. particularly to novel means for supporting and mounting the operating mechanism thereof in the usual casing or cabinet.

In a multi-record phonograph, such as that disv closed in United States Letters Patent No. 2,159,- 834, issued May 23, 1939, to Paul I-I. Smyth, Jr., the operating mechanism is enclosed in anouter casing or cabinet and usually includes means for moving a selected or desired record onto a rotatthe main mechanism supporting frame shown in able turntable and into playing position, means for rotating the turntable, and means for playing or reproducing the record. The operation of these di'fierent mechanisms sets up vibrations which may, and at times will, buildup and amplify each other to such an extent as to .distort the sound reproduction and cause undesirable booming, squealing, etc., by the speaker. same deleterious results may also be occasioned by accidental jarring of the cabinet or by otherwise causing vibrations originating exteriorly of the machine to be transmitted to the record reproducing means.

A principal object of thisinvention, therefore, is to eliminate, or at least to materially minimize, such undesirable results in the operation of a phonograph.

Another important object the provision, in a phonograph having such multipart operating mechanism. of novel means for so supporting the same in a cabinet as to damp vibrations emanating either from the mechanism or from the exterior of the machine to minimize the transmission thereof to the sound reproducing means. 1

A further object of the invention is to provide individual supporting means for the dif-' ferent parts of the operating mechanism of a phonograph, and means interconnecting the same having different periods of vibration to vcause the vibrations which would normally be transmitted from one part to'another to be efiectively damped.

Numerous other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent as it is better under-- v stood from the following description, which, when taken in connection with the accompanying draw-' ings, discloses a preferred embodiment thereof.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a transverse vertical section of a phonograph embodying thefeatures of the instant invention;

Fig. .2 is a front elevational view, with the cabinet and part of the mechanism removed and of the invention is record carrying and reproducing devices which section Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the operating mechanism, with the cabinet shown in section; and Figs. 4 and 5 are ,detail vertical sections taken substantially on the lines 4-4 and'5-5, respectively, of Fig, 3.

Referring more particularly to the drawings,

the phonograph illustrated is of the type distion, The phonograph comprise'sanouter casing or cabinet A of suitable construction for accommodating the operating mechanism, including cooperate to translate the irregularities of a record sound track; into mechanical vibrations and to convert the latter into electrical impulses which are supplied to amplifier means not shown herein, and a speaker D for converting the amplifled electrical impulses into sound. Opera.- tion of the phonograph is controlled by coin-operated means and record selector control means V, as described in detail in saidpatent, through the agency of which an electric motor or driving means N is energized to causerotation of a mas-' ter cam, M, and a second electricmotor or driving meansO is also energized to rotate a turntable G.- The records are carried by a plurality of ring shaped trays J arranged one above another in stack relationship, and pivotally associated with a record carrier supporting or mounting assembly I, to be swingable between their normal inoperative position of the instant drawings and an operative position above and in vertical alignment with the turntable G.

Rotation of the master cam M causes the tray J carrying the recordselecte'd for playing to be swung to its delivery position in alignment with the rotating turntable G. The master ca M thenactuates a cam follower S to raise a.re-

ciprocable slide R,'which carries with it an arm T engaging a shaft P which supports the turntable G at its upper end. The turntable G is thus raised from its normal or inoperative position of Fig. 2, through the selected record carrier J- to remove the selected record therefrom, and to its uppermost position to present the record complete understanding of'the present invenin playing osition for engagement by a tone arm or reproducer means K. As the turntable G reaches such playing position, the electric motor or driving means N is deenergized to stop the rotationof the master cam M.

When the tone-arm or reproducer means H reaches the end of the record groove to complete playing of the record, the electric motor or driving means N is again energized to rotate the master cam M. Resumption of rotation of the cam M causes actuation of the follower S, slide R. and arm T to lower the turntable G through the selected record carrier J and back to normal position. As the turntable G is lowered from playing position, reproducer return means U functions to return the reproducer means H to normal or starting position, and after the played record is deposited onits carrier J, the latter is swung back to its stack position. The circuit including the electric motor or cam driving means N and that including the velectric motor or turntable rotating means are operating parts and to the record reproducer means, the present invention contemplates the elimination of the chassis B- and motor board E of the Smyth machine, and the provision of multi-part supporting means connected to the cabinet and interconnected with each other by resilient means having different periods of vibralatter being suspended from the auxiliary frame l3 by spring means [5.

The main frame ll preferably comprises longitudinally extending, front and rear L-shaped members l6 and I1, respectively, which support and have riveted thereto a pair of transversely extending, L-shaped and members 13 and a plate member l3. Resting upon, and riveted adjacent its ends to, the horizontal portions of the end members I3 is a longitudinally extending, U- shaped member 2|. These several members l6, l1, l8, l8 and 2|, which go to make up the skeleton main frame l-l, have all of the phonograph mechanism heretofore referred to mounted thereon, with the exception of the electric motor or turntable rotating means 0 and the tone arm or reproducer means H, and provide the necessary clearance for those parts which extend both above and below the plane of the main frame H which they define. For example, the supporting bracket for the electric motor or cam driving means N depends from, and is bolted to, the U-shaped member 2| at 22.

The spring mountings l2 for securing the frame ll to the cabinet A are four in number (Fig. 3), and are disposed, respectively, in cooperating relationship with the joined ends of the members l6 and I8, and the end portions of the rear member ll. At the former locations, tne brackets forming a part of the mountings l2 are secured directly to the front wall of the cabinet, while in the two latter locations, they are secured to vertical struts or reinforcing members 23 forming a part of the cabinet structure. With particular reference to Fig. 4, it will be seen that each of the spring mountings l2 comprises a main bracket 24, a lower supporting bracket 25 and an upper guide bracket lb. The vertical arm of the main bracket 24 is secured in any suitable manner ad acent its upper end, with the guide bracket 26, to the front wall 01 the cabinet A or a strut 23, as at 21. The lower bracket 25 is likewise -secured at 28. The main bracket 24 is provided with an inwardly extendmg, horizontal arm 29 which rests upon the lower bracket 2b, and is provided with a vertical portion 3i which terminates below and in spaced relationship to the associated frame member I] or l6, l8 in a horizontal flange 32. A cupshaped retainer 33 is secured by welding, or in any other suitable manner, to tne upper surface of the arm 29, and similar retainers 34 are secured in the same manner to the upper and lower surfaces of-the associated main frame member, shown as the member II in. Fig. 4, in vertical alignment with the retainer 33. A coil spring 35 is interposed between the retainer 33 and the lower retainer 33, and a similar spring 3B-is positioned between the upper retainer ,34 and a similar retainer 31 which is secured in any desired manner to the lower end of a sleeve 38 extending upwardly through a suitable guide aperture in the horizontal arm of the bracket 23.

The horizontal arm of the lower bracket 25, the arm 28 of'the bracket 24, the horizontal portion of the associated main frame member (II in Fig. 4), and the several retainers 33, 34 and 31 are each provided with suitable vertically aligned apertures through which, as well as though the springs 35 and 36 and sleeve 38, a

bolt 39 extends. The head of the bolt 39 engages the upper end of the sleeve 38, and a nut ll threaded on the lower end of the bolt engages the lower surface of the supporting bracket 25. Any desired degree of compression may thus be applied to the two springs 35, 36. The weight of the main frame II and the phonograph mechanism supported thereby is resiliently carried by the lower springs 35 of the several mountings l2, while the upper springs 33 yieldably resist upward movements of the frame relative to the machine casing. The vertically aligned apertures through which the bolt 39 passes, with the exception of the bore of the sleeve 38, are sufiiciently larger than the outer diameter of the bolt to permit limited relative horizontal movements of the latter, the aperture in the guide bracket 26 likewise being larger than the' outside diameter of the sleeve 38. The main frame H and the phonograph mechanism supported thereby are thus resiliently suspended for controlled floating motion relative to the outer cabinet A by the several mountings I2.

For the purpose of anchoring the main frame I l and preventing movement of the same relative to the cabinet A during shipment, of the phonograph, vertically aligned apertures 42 (Figs. 3 and 4) may be provided in the flanges 32 of the main brackets 24 and the associated frame members l1 and I8. A suitable bolt (not shown) may be passed through the associated apertures 42 and then tightened to draw the frame down into engagement with the flanges 32. While this-same function could be accomplished by screwing up the nuts 4| on the bolts 39 to compress the springs 35, 36, the use of such auxiliary bolts enables proper adjustment of the bolts 39 at the factory to set the desired tension in the springs 35, 36, and eliminates the necessity of disturbing such accurate initial adjustment.

The auxiliary frame I 3 (Figs. 2 and 3) comprises a flat plate, reinforced'by having its sides flanged upwardly, whichoverlies the space be-' tween the plate member l9 and the right-hand end member Hi. The resilient means l4 for mounting the auxiliary frame l3 on the'main frame II are three in number, as best seen in Fig. 3, and are connected, respectively, to the rear member H, the right-hand end member l8 and the plate member i 9. Referring more particularly to Fig. 5, it will be seen that each of the auxiliary frame mounting means l4 comprises a bolt 55, a washer 55 and a coil spring 51.

plate 13, the apertures 58 having a greater diam eter than the bolts 55. The lower ends of the bolts engage suitable tapped bosses provided on the supporting bracket of the turntable driving means 0, and the springs 51 are interposed belower resilient rubber block 43 interposed between the auxiliary frame and the main frame, and a similar rubber block 44 disposed above the auxiliary frame. A cup-shaped retaining member 45 is secured by welding, or the like, to the upper surface of the associated main frame member,

shown as the member l8 in Fig. 5, and a similar retaining member 48 is'welded to the underside of the auxiliary frame plate 13, the rubber block 43 being engaged therebetween. The -several members "to 48 are each provided with centrally disposed apertures through which a sleeve 41 extends, and a washer 48 rests upon the upper end of the sleeve 41 and the upper surface of the rubber block 44. A bolt 48 extends downwardly through the sleeve 48 and'a suitable aperture in the main frame member, and'is provided at its lower end with a nut 5|.

As shown inFig. 5, tightening of the nut 5! against the main frame member l8 will thus rigidly interconnect the plate 48 and sleeve 4| therewith, the sleeve being of such length in relationship to the thickness of the associated members as to result in the two rubber blocks 43, 44 being maintained under a slight degree of a compression. The auxiliary frame plate l3 has an aperture 52 through which the sleeve 41 extends and which, together, with the aperture in the retainer 48, is of sufliciently greater diameter than the sleeve to permit relative movement between the two frames ll arid l3. Such movement, of course, is yieldably resisted by" the resilient blocks 43 and 44. v

The hollow, upright standard of the tone arm or reproducer means H is provided at its lower end (Figs. 3 and 5) with three radially extending bosses 53 which are secured to the auxiliary frame I; by screws 54. The tone arm H is thus mount-,

ed in cushioned relationship to the turntable G by the resilientmeans l4, since the turntable is supported by the main frame I I, a suitable aperture being provided in the auxiliary frame plate l3 to accommodate the turntable shaft P.

Referring again to Figs. 2 and 3, the means tween these bosses and the auxiliary frame i3. I

The several turntable motor suspending means l5 extend downwardly through the space-defined. by the members l6, l9, 2| and the right-hand member l8 of the main frame ll.

From the foregoing description, it will be appreciated that the several different parts of the phonograph, and particularly the cam driving motor'N and the mechanism operated thereby, and the motor Ofor rotating the turntable, are so mounted in cushioned relationship to each other and the reproducer means H that vibrations caused by the operation thereof will not affect the tonal qualities of the record reproduction. Similarly, vibrations from outside sources, such as from accidental jarring of the cabinet, will not be transmitted to the record reproducer means. To assure these desired results by preventing the building up, the amplification by synchronization or the superposing upon each other of different vibrations, the several different types of supportingunits l2, l4 and I5 employed herein use resilient or vibratile members having such different periods or frequencies that they co-act with each other to damp out and prevent transmission or the vibrations to the reproducer means.

It is thought that the invention and many of its attendant advantages will be understood from the foregoing description, and it will be apparent that various changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of the parts withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of the invention or sacrificing all of its material advantages, the f'orm hereinbefore described being merely a preferred embodiment thereof.

I claim:

Mounting means for phonograph mechanism having an outer cabinet housing record carrying and selecting means, a rotatable turntable, record reproducer means, driving means for causing the positioning of a selected record on said turntable in operative association with said reproducer means, and means for rotating said turntable; comprising a frame member for supporting said reproducer means, means for mounting said turntable rotating means on said frame member in- I cluding resilient members for cushioning relative from said mechanism or from the exterior of said cabinet to minimize the transmission thereof to said record reproducer means. 

